The body is one -- it works as a single being to heal itself and relieve pressure. You just have to know where to start. That's the motto of Rosemarie Lanchester, a certified hypnotist who believes it's her calling to give back to others by allowing them to self-heal.

"Part of my purpose is to help," she said.

Since 2009, Lanchester has used a technique known as tapping as a way to help eliminate pain, injury, and emotional stress. Her first patient was an older man who was scheduled for a hip replacement. Before her training was complete, she told him to use the tapping technique; two months later, he told her his hip was completely healed.

"His whole life changed," she said. "It was just amazing."

What is tapping?

Tapping is similar to acupuncture in that it addresses the body via certain trigger or pressure points. One literally "taps" with his or her fingers, allowing the mind to reset itself and reduce both physical and mental stress. What's more, Lanchester helps people understand their subconscious mind, and it "actually balances out the brain."

"It can really make a tremendous difference helping people process trauma," she explained. "A lot of times people have trauma before they ever go to war."

Another aspect, reaching the mind, is done through positive reinforcement. Before bed and shortly after waking, you tell yourself you are better. For instance, the man with hip pain told himself, "My hip gets better each day" while tapping. She said it's important to do this before and after sleep, since this is when the brain is most receptive to positive messages.

"Once the trauma is diminished, the body will heal immediately," she said. "It's really just amazing."

Is it proven?

Lanchester is aware of critics, but she's also seen tapping work as a quick and effective treatment for all types of ailments. It's also been heavily researched and studied.

Before learning the practice, Lanchester looked into the history of tapping, which began in the 1980s with a doctor who couldn't find a cure for his patient's fear of water. He found tapping through research in rhythms, pressure points and the subconscious. The combination and physical response reaches the stomach's meridian system -- also known as the channel network and a main concept within traditional Chinese medicine.

"It's proven that the mere motion of tapping will relieve or neutralize the effect of that trauma," Lanchester said. "I was so riveted by that information, and there were several medical doctors and psychiatrists that were endorsing it."

She added that the procedure works similarly to acupuncture, where needles expand and delete blockages in energy to allow the body to flow and release pain and discomfort.

"When you're (tapping), the part of your brain that's responsible for the fight or flight response will relieve or neutralize the effect of that trauma," she explained.

Tapping as a VA-approved treatment

Recently, the practice of tapping was accepted by the VA, meaning soldiers and veterans can now sign up for the treatment to help with PTSD, other injuries or physiological ailments.

In addition to tapping, Lanchester, whose business Everything You Wish For is in Whitmann, Massachusetts, practices emotional freedom technique (EFT) and energy psychology, which she said is about half of her business. Other services include connecting with your higher power, self-hypnosis and more. She treats soldiers as well as civilians of all ages, including children with anxiety problems and more.

For more information, call Rosemarie Lanchester at 781.447.7782 or email rosemarie@everythingyouwishfor.com.